Category Archives: Missional Christianity

Thompson has a fascinating chapter on church leadership. We don’t normally think of leadership as a missional topic, but Thompson makes the point that how we’re led is governed by the church’s mission. If we don’t get the connection, we … Continue reading →

If the mission of the church is to get people to heaven when they die, then the church has no reason to care for the Creation or human flourishing or abundant living (John 10:10) in general. The scriptures don’t emphasize … Continue reading →

Christian mission through the government So we no longer live in the Constantinian world in which government works with the church to direct society, and no matter how many books you buy and read arguing that the US is a … Continue reading →

Romans 13 (Rom. 13:1-6 ESV)  Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.  2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God … Continue reading →

1 Cor 5:9-13 To my way of thinking, this passage is at the heart of the question, and I’m thankful to the readers for keeping me on my toes as I’ve tried to apply it to public policy questions in earlier … Continue reading →

Examples Murder So let’s take an example or two. We start with murder. Is it okay for Christians to advocate for laws making murder criminal? Well, it seems obvious. After all, everyone but a few psychopaths believe murder to be … Continue reading →

Christians in a democracy: Foreign policy One of the thornier issues that the American church must wrestle with is how the church should operate in a democracy. In fact, in the US, there are enough Christian voters that the church’s … Continue reading →

Wright on Justice So we have to start with love. From there, we go to justice. Christopher Wright speaks first of believers who serve the state for God’s purposes. First, they accepted the realities of the public sphere they became … Continue reading →

Christopher J. H. Wright includes in the church’s mission “justice (transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation).” Boundaries This requires some unpacking as well as some boundary setting. Pacifism First, I … Continue reading →

Repeat after me: I will not use people in an effort to save them. Again: I will not use people in an effort to save them. Got it? Jesus never used people. He never objectivized or instrumentalized them. He loved … Continue reading →